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.G'; E. ELIA.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR SH IPS.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.22. 191s.

1,3 1 2,841. Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

m: COLUMBIA PLANOIIRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, n. c.

vG. E. ELIA.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED No.22. I916.

1 3 1 2, 84: 1 Patented Aug. 12,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

v 3mm COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON D c GIOVANNI EMANUEL'E ELLA, OFWASHINGTON, DISTRIGTOF COLUMBIA.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR SI -IIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

Application filed December 22, 1916. Serial No. 138,408.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GIOVANNI E. ELIA, a subjectof the King of Italy,residing in the city of Washington, District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Protective Devices for Ships; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will. enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains, to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a protective'device for ships, and it isdesigned for the purpose of protecting the ships against submarineexplosions.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a floatingprotective device which may be arranged to envelop the ship and lie incontact with the sides thereof, is capable of being towed by the ship,when such conditions exist that its use may advantageously bediscontinued, and is capable of being towed by a tug-boat, inconjunction with a plurality of similar devices and boats to inclose andprotect an area in which transports or similar ships move.

In the drawings, I have shown an embodiment of my invention, in whichdrawin s:

igure 1 is a plan view of a ship showing the position of the protectivedevice immediately prior to the engagement of the bow of the shiptherewith to cause the enveloping of the ship by the device;

Fig, 2 is a similar view showing the position of the device after theship is enveloped thereby;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a ship with the device applied thereto; 7

Fig. 4: is a plan view of the device illustrating its position withrelation to the ship .when it is being towed; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the posi tions of several of thedevices when used to inclose and protect an area in which transports orsimilar ships move.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings includes aplurality of protective elements 1, which are substantially rectangularin form and are, in actual practice, approximately twenty-one feet inthickness. These elements are secured together by means of cables 2,which extend from one element to the other and secure them, edgeto edge,with su-flicient distance between the same to permit the elements tomove individually, both horizontally and vertically, so that the devicewill accommodate itself to the contours of vessels, and so that theelements may have individual movement, such as may be caused by waveactions. Each of these elements 1 is preferably composed of wood andsteel, so arranged that the latter will act as a brace for the formerand so that the elementsiwill float in vertical positions. The densityof each of the elements is substantially equal to that of the water offlotation, so that when a portion of one of the elements is blown away,the element will float in its original position.

In using the device, it isv placed in the position disclosed in Fig. 1of the drawings in substantially the same relation to the ship asdisclosed in this figure. When the ship moves forwardly, it will engagethe cables between the two intermediate elements, and one section of theprotective elements will swing into contact with one side of the ship,while the other section will swing into contact with the other side.This protective device floats in such position that each of the elementswill extend at least as low as the bottom of the ship. When theprotective device is in the position illustrated in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, the sides of the ship will be protected against submarineexplosions, as will be obvious.

When, in rough weather, it is desirable-to remove the. protective devicefrom the sides of the ship, it may be accomplished by merely reversingthe direction of the ship until it moves free from the device. After thedevice has been thus freed from the sides of the ship, it may beattached to thestern thereof, by suitable. towing cables, and towed inthe manner illustrated in Fig. f of the drawings. It is sometimesdesirable to convoy a ship or a plurality of ships without attaching thedevice directly to the ship or ships, and when this condition arises, Icontemplate using a plurality of tugboats, which have very slight draft,and, consequently, are practically safe from submarine attacks. Securedto and towed by each of these tug-boats is a protective device similarto that described. The tug-boats operate in the relation to each otherdisclosed in Fig. 5 of the drawings, 'so that the protective devicesinclose an area in which the ships move, and are, consequently, safefrom submarine attacks. 7

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided aprotective device which is capable of loosely surrounding a ship andlying in contact with the sides thereof, so that it will protect theship and which may be towed in conjunction with a plurality of othersimilar devices to inclose and protect an area in which a plurality ofships move, and which is capable of being towed by a ship when it is notdesirable to have the same enveloping the ship. Furthermore, I have soconstructed the device that the density of the same is substantiallyequal to that of the water of flotation, and have employed a pluralityof elements which are so secured together that they will be free to moveindividually under the wave actions.

What I claim is A projective device for ships, comprising an elongatedbody consisting of a series of buoyant elements of substantial and pro;tective thickness extending at least as low on the water as the bottomof the ship and flexibly connected edge to edge to one another forindividual movement both vertically and horizontally; whereby said body,on being engaged by the bow of a moving ship, will be caused, solely bythe movement of the ship through the water, to fold upon itself into andto maintain a position in contact with and conforming to the curvatureof the ships sides, but will assume a substantially straight-lineposition when towed through the water by a towing connection attached toone end thereof.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

